The situation in the area known as ‘Mass. and Cass’ gives again something to talk about and worries the authorities more than ever.
A new proposal from the Boston Medical Center calls for the construction of hundreds of housing units on the Shattuck Hospital campus in Jamaica Plain for people in need of mental health and substance abuse treatment.
Some residents and businesses in the area say they are not very in favor of that proposal, fearing it will bring more problems.
Rafael Peña, a merchant from the area, says that “if they bring these people here, it is possible that everything will change and the businesses will be very affected, as is happening with the South End and many businesses in Roxbury that are people who are entering, taking things and police often do nothing.
He still remembers the last time they tried to relocate people from the Mass. and Cass area to that same spot, “The other time they brought those little houses as it turned out, they had to remove it all at once,” Peña said.
For her part, Yahaira López, founder of the South End Roxbury Community Partnership, assures that “we are in a situation where people who are using drugs have more rights than people who live and are paying rent or are paying for their homes and businesses in that area”.
López says that help should be provided to people in this situation, but in his eyes this does not seem like the best solution.
The situation has become more dangerous, according to authorities. Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrol Association, said Thursday that “We have seen an increase in violence over the last 10 to 12 weeks in Mass. and Cass since the beginning of the summer.” so far this year they have already responded to more than 5,000 calls for service.
Meanwhile, Mayor Michelle Wu said the city is going to be working on reviving the opioid recovery facility on Long Island to understand how that can fit into Shattuck Hospital and any other service centers.
